CREW CUT: Three Bravehearts test the road game of a no-frills pickup truck

Photo by James Gaffney/The Times-PicayuneBy James GaffneyAutomotive writer

A long-time friend literally laughed when told of the test vehicle I was reviewing this week: the 2010 Dodge Dakota Crew Cab TRX4. It wasn’t a commentary on the pickup truck but rather the idea that someone like myself should be driving something so rugged.

“You’re just more of an arts-and-leisure kind of guy than someone who would drive anything with ‘crew cab’ in its name,” he said.

Photo by James Gaffney/The Times-PicayuneHe was right. I probably was too much of a loafer-wearing, ex-SoCal, liberal arts flake for an able-bodied pickup truck designed for real working guys who likely ply their trade on construction sites, farms and ranches — basically anywhere there’s real work to be done. Places where robust trucks like the Dakota Crew Cab are de rigueur and there isn’t a valet in sight.

Nada. Zip.

Making matters worse was that this tawny, mid-size workhorse arrives at the job packing a 4.7-liter V8 engine and enough cargo space — 37.1 cubic feet — to carry tools whose names I’ve never heard of which are used to tackle jobs I know absolutely nothing about. Just ask Will, a construction worker and master craftsman who once let me haul sand in his wheelbarrow but only under his direct supervision.

To prove the cynics wrong and to show them I was indeed worthy to helm the Dakota Crew Cab, I deemed to put together my own rugged “crew” (no Brutini loafers allowed!) and haul them somewhere foreign to us all. Namely, a venue void of abstract expressionist art, tapas or oboes. Think road trip in a man-cave-on-wheels — the kind with heavy-duty rubber floor mats and a tool pouch in the armrest console.

Destination? My favorite Lake Maurepas hangout and swamp-shack bar.

I would need to pick my crew wisely.

Unleaded regular?If pickup truck loyalists and aficionados quibble endlessly over things like the merits of their respective vehicle’s towing capacity, wheelbase and solid construction, it’s because for them it actually matters — a lot — because oft-times their work (and workload) can depend on it. This is precisely why many Dakota enthusiasts say its size is ideal for those who don’t need a full-size bruiser.

Said BusinessWeek, “It’s ideal if you want to trade down from a full-size pickup but are reluctant to go with a genuine compact.”

Ditto for pickup truck purists who don’t freak out at the thought of a utilitarian dashboard and an unfettered, duo-tone gun-metal gray interior. Or if the radio volume knob has no accompanying, incremental digital graphics bar on the menu screen to show the volume level. This presumably because the typical Dakota Crew Cab owner can judge the loudness of the stereo by — I dunno — the sound.

What thrilled me — don’t laugh — was the steering column-mounted pull-down gear shifter and how it reminded fondly of the past when almost all cars and trucks featured this automotive mainstay. A button on the inside shift handle activates the truck’s transmission for the Dakota’s best-in-class towing capabilities — up to 7,500 pounds. A back-of-cab dual light facing the cargo bay comes on when the remote keyless entry unlocks the doors, truly a nice touch when unloading satchels of fresh herbs and cilantro — excuse me, blocks of concrete — in the dark.Mango Tango?While some critics have complained about the lack of comfort in the backseat, it should be noted that the Dakota’s strong suit is probably getting to and from the job and most likely not cross-country road trips with the family. None of which was having any sway whatsoever on Nick, a rather average-sized fellow who volunteered to sit in the back seat during the trip up.

“For a crew cab, the back seat legroom-wise seems better suited for kids, dogs and bags of groceries,” he said.

Keith, the other “crew” member of my Thursday-night swamp-shack posse, echoed this sentiment after squeezing into the back for the ride home. He suggested that the backseat might not make for the most comfortable ride for many if not most men during long trips. That is, unless they were Napoleon or similarly diminutive in stature.

All of which is why many owners opt for the Extended Cab body style, which offers a larger cabin and decidedly more legroom.

Perhaps it’s precisely because the Dakota embraces its own, well, unremarkable-ness that the Crew Cab TX4 has found loyalty among drivers who want ruggedness first with maybe just a wee bit of styling thrown in for good measure (just in case the truck pulls double duty as a Saturday-night date ride).

Ideal for the 21st-century guy who doesn’t need a whole lot of extra frills or comfort to get the job done. Although yours truly would opt for the new-for-2010 Mango Tango exterior color.